Kid or Squid?
by CatGirl149
Summary: Taylor was just an ordinary teenage girl that never experienced or expected anything outstanding or interesting. After picking up and playing Splatoon one day, however, all of that changes when she finds that she has become an Inkling herself.
1. Diamond in the Rough

"Is something bothering you, Taylor?" my brother Roger asked me as I solemnly stared out the raindrop-patterned window.

I turned to face him and answered, "No, I'm fine. I'm just reflecting on life. That's all."

"Oh, OK. Just asking."

He looked back down at the Nintendo 3DS he was holding in his hands, and I mentally sighed of relief. I was glad that was all it took to answer his question, because I didn't have the intention of telling him what I was _really_ thinking. As I continued to stare out the wet windowpane watching other cars drive by, I reflected on everything that had occurred in my life up until this point, only to realize that everything that had happened resulted the same way: always being dull and boring and never exciting. I never understood why, because it was the exact opposite for everyone in my family. My brother would always receive straight A's in school; my parents would periodically get promotions at work, and my friends' parents would always buy them whatever they asked for. Me? Everything I ever got was mind-numbingly boring and was never something to boast or get excited about. It was all very lackluster, like getting a toothbrush in your Christmas stocking. I was the runt of the litter, so to speak. I was different from everyone in my family, but not in the way I wanted to be.

Now, don't get me wrong…my parents love me and would do anything for me just like any other parent would with their child. The thing was…neither my parents nor I knew what I liked or wanted, so I would end up paying the price for not telling them what to get me. One year, I got an encyclopedia and a cinnamon-scented candle for my birthday. Fun, right?

Anyway, as I was in the process of thinking back on my life experiences, my father suddenly pulled up into a shopping center. He glanced at my mother as if he was expecting her to give her preference as to where we should go, and she immediately shook her head. He looked towards the backseat at me and Roger and asked, "Do you kids need anything before we head back home?"

"I don't need anything," I replied glumly.

Roger placed a hand on his chin as if he was contemplating his decision. Suddenly, he gazed out the window, mouth agape, and exclaimed, "Ooh, a game store! Can we go _there_?"

"That sounds like a good idea to _me_ ," Dad answered. "What do you think, Taylor?"

"I don't know…" I replied hesitantly. "I think I'll just wait in the car."

"Come on, now! It wouldn't hurt to have a look around! Who knows- Maybe something in there will catch your eye."

I sighed heavily and begrudgingly stepped out of the car as soon as Dad parked in front of the game store. As soon as I walked into the store, I couldn't help but wonder why Dad didn't just let me wait in the car. I was positive that none of the games stacked on the store shelves would have interested me, and it was _Roger's_ idea to look around in there anyway, so I was pretty much stuck there until Roger was done browsing.

I continued to walk around the store aimlessly, mentally shaking my head in response to the sight of the games sitting on the shelves. None of them really stood out to me, and I wasn't sure if it was because they didn't look appealing or if _I_ was just that boring. I found this little excursion pointless…that is, until I saw something out of the corner of my eye that caught my attention. I turned my head to see a kiosk with a Wii U attached to it, which I assumed was to allow customers to try out game demos. On the screen appeared to be a flurry of flying, bright colors and kids with tentacles on their heads. At first, I was confused as to what this game was, but then something clicked in my head.

"Oh, right! That _Splatoon_ game!" I pondered. "I remember Roger showing that to me at E3 last year!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I felt the sudden urge to actually _play_ that game. It was strange, I thought, considering that everything else in my life was lackluster and boring up until that point. Did I actually find something that was worth my attention?

Giving in to my sudden desire, I casually walked over to the kiosk and grabbed the rectangular gamepad perched in front of the screen. I tapped the _"Play Demo"_ option on the gamepad, and a few moments later, the game began, firstly showing a male and female avatar and the words _"Choose an Inkling!"_ I picked the female Inkling on the left, chose a skin tone and eye color for her, and was instantly whisked away into an alleyway of some sort. I instantly noticed that the Inkling I had created carried an orange ink container on her back and held an orange ink gun in her hands.

Suddenly, the game began walking me through a tutorial by saying, _"Hey, you. Yeah, you! Wanna be the freshest squid on the block? You've got a long way to go. Before you battle, let's go over the basics!"_

The text it provided me with for the tutorial dropped to the bottom of the screen and I was given free rein to control my character. I was told how to shoot ink by pressing ZR on the gamepad and that aiming could be done by moving the controller. I moved my Inkling around with the left analog stick, and I eventually learned that I could swim in my own ink by turning into a squid! I became so giddy with joy with this squid mechanic that I couldn't help but grow a smile on my face. Before I knew it, I was in love with the game, and I wanted it in my possession.

Without warning, my father approached me from behind and asked me, "Are you ready to go? Roger already has a game picked out."

My immediate love for Splatoon caused me to instantly shake my head at his question, and I think this caught him by surprise. "Can I get this game first?" I asked.

" _Splatoon_ , huh? Sure, but I didn't see any copies of it on the shelves, so let's see if they have one up front."

So my father and I subsequently walked up to the registers to inquire about the availability of this particular game, but upon asking the cashier this question, we were met with a very astonished expression.

"I'm sorry," the cashier muttered, "but w-we just sold the last copy."

"How is that possible?!" I exclaimed, my heart sinking.

"Please, sir… It would mean a lot for my daughter to have this game. Don't you have any more in the back?"

"N-no, sir. Please understand… There are no more copies."

Just as I was about to give up hope, a female cashier walked in from the side and asked, "Ryan, what about this one right here?" She held up a rectangular blue box with the cover depicting an orange and blue Inkling and the _Splatoon_ logo. At last!

"I thought we weren't supposed to sell that one," Ryan brought up.

"I didn't get the memo," the female cashier replied. "What's wrong with _this_ one?"

I couldn't help but stare in bewilderment as this conversation unraveled. Why were they trying so hard to hide this particular copy from us? Was there something wrong with the game?

Ryan glanced at me and then looked back at his co-worker. With a sigh, he stated, "Well, I know this will be against the boss's orders, but I just can't disappoint a customer." He took the game from the woman's hand, rang up Dad at the register, and handed me the box with a smile. The game was finally in my possession.

As Roger, Dad and I walked out the door, Dad said to me, "Well, it looks like you've finally found something that interests you!"

I had to agree with him. For once, I had actually found something in my life worth investing time in; something that I was having lots of fun with. This game was the beginning of a brand new chapter in my life.

* * *

As soon as we got home, I asked Roger to let me use his Wii U, and he agreed to let me borrow it for a while. I took the console into my room and popped the game into the slot right after I plugged in the machine. I booted up the game and walked through the tutorial just like in the demo. After learning to climb up walls in my squid form and to cover enemy ink with my own, I found a yellow launch pad at the end of the tutorial and was propelled to a city known as Inkopolis. It was a bustling city full of Inklings of many bright colors, clothing stores and a large tower that led to the 4-on-4 online battles. My orange Inkling was presented standing in the center of the city underneath the Splatoon logo, wearing a white headband, a yellow t-shirt and cream-colored shoes.

I pressed the ZL and ZR buttons, which subsequently brought up a giant screen that I assumed was for news broadcasts. What appeared on the screen were two female Inklings that looked slightly different from the others and had black and light gray hair.

The one on the left, Callie, began the broadcast by saying, "Hold on to your tentacles…"

To the right was Marie, who announced, "It's Inkopolis News time!"

The two went on to announce the current regular and ranked battle stages, and then Callie suddenly exclaimed, "News flash! News flash!"

"What is it? What is it?!" Marie wanted to know.

Two pictures appeared behind them and Callie announced with a shocked expression, "Inkopolis's Great Zapfish has…vanished!"

"Wait, seriously?"

"If it isn't recovered soon, are we gonna lose power?"

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine…probably," Marie reassured.

"I wonder if it has anything to do with that UFO crash!"

"Sounds likely to me!"

Anticipation was building inside me as Callie and Marie explained the disappearance of the Great Zapfish. I wondered if this was part of a single-player mode, and I wondered if I would have to go to great lengths to retrieve it.

For some reason, as I was pondering this…I felt a very unusual vibe around me, as if it was warning me that something was about to happen. At first I was a bit worried, but I didn't think that anything could have happened at a time like this, so I just shrugged it off.

The game transitioned back to the plaza and greeted me with, _"Welcome to Inkopolis! This is the plaza, where all the freshest folk come to chill like krill. Most Inklings here are obsessed with the hottest sport in Inkopolis…INK BATTLES! That crazy-tall building in front of you is Inkopolis Tower. It's the city's most famous landmark! There's a lobby on the first floor of Inkopolis Tower for online battles."_ The screen panned over to the cluster of shops to the west of the plaza. _"This is the Booyah Base, a shopping mall for all your Inkling needs. You can buy all kinds of fresh gear and weapons to use in battle. But check it-the staff in the shops can be a snobby bunch. They won't serve you if they don't think you're fresh enough. Battle Dojo is on the second floor of that building over there. Check it out if you wanna battle your friends 1-on-1 and sharpen your skills."_

The game went on to warn me about steering clear about the city's back alley, even though I felt it was going to be important later on. It even pointed out a "creepy old dude" that appeared to be coming out of a sewer, and suggested that he might get me mixed up with something dangerous. After showing me around the rest of Inkopolis, I was free to start jumping right into the online battles, but before I could press any buttons, the screen turned pitch black and the sound went silent. I sat frozen in my seat and was as frightened as a child on the first day of school. What was wrong with my game? Was _this_ the reason why Ryan initially didn't want to sell the game to me?

Before I could ponder any more questions, my skin experienced a tingling sensation and the room around me became pure white.

"Help! What's happening to me?!" I shouted in fear. Before I knew it, I was in a world other than my own.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this story so far! I've been playing a lot of Splatoon lately, and it is easily one of the best games I've ever played, so that's why I wanted to write this! If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know in a review!**


	2. Not Like the Others

I was utterly confused as to what happened to me. All around me was just a blank, white space, and the tingling sensation enveloping me refused to stop. I could neither speak nor move, and I didn't have the slightest clue regarding where I was.

Out of nowhere, a faint voice suddenly called to me, _"Hey! Wake up!"_

Where was this voice coming from? It didn't sound like it belonged to anyone I knew.

 _"Can you hear me? Come on! Don't sleep your life away!"_

Sleep? As far as I knew, I was surrounded by an empty, white room, and it was near impossible to distinguish if I was dreaming or hallucinating. I didn't know who the owner of the voice was, but I didn't want to keep them waiting any longer, so I used all my might to force myself awake. It was a struggle, but I finally managed to open my eyes. My vision was a bit blurry at first, but I could make out a mysterious figure staring in my direction. What did it want with me? Was _this_ figure the one who called out to me?

As my vision improved, my body went into a state of shock and my mind was clouded with disbelief. What sat on its knees before me was a male, blue-haired Inkling wearing purple shoes and a white T-shirt with a long-sleeved gray shirt layered underneath it. My first instinct was to scream and run away, but my awestruck eyes wanted me to keep staring at what I thought I could only interact with digitally.

"You're finally awake!" he happily exclaimed. "You were out a pretty long time. Glad to see you're okay, though."

I could only sputter in response, "…Y- _You're_ an Inkling!"

"Yeah… What about it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's just…I can't believe you're real! A real-life Inkling!"

"Well, _you're_ one to talk!"

"What do you me-" Before I could finish my sentence, I looked down to realize that my appearance had received a complete makeover. I was wearing a short-sleeved, white T-shirt with a strange language written on it, black shorts with orange strips down the sides, and pink tennis shoes with cyan laces. "What the heck? I don't remember putting these on!"

The Inkling in front of me laughed, "Did you dress yourself half-asleep?"

"What? No! Don't be ridiculous!" I slowly placed a hand on my face in defeat and sighed, "I don't know what's going on now. I'm so confused." I raised my head up to realize that there was a large building towering behind the Inkling that appeared similar to the 1-on-1 Battle Dojo. "A-Am I in Inkopolis?!"

"Yeah… Where did you think you were this whole time?"

 _"I'm in Inkopolis? I must have been too fazed by the sight of this Inkling alone to become aware of my surroundings. But wait… How do I_ look _? He didn't seem to question my appearance when I woke up, so he must not think that I look like an actual human!"_

Without any hesitation, I quickly scurried to the nearest shop window and examined my reflection. My once-brown hair had become orange with a pair of tentacles protruding from the sides; I had a black color enclosed around my brown eyes that looked like a mask, and I had very large vampire-like teeth. _I_ was an Inkling, too!

"Aaaahhh! What happened to me?!" I screamed as soon as the absurd realization hit me.

With my face still wide-eyed and frozen with shock, I could see the blue-haired Inkling approaching me with much haste as if he was in a hurry. Why was he suddenly compelled to follow me around? We had just met!

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked with a genuine look of concern.

"No, I'm not," I sighed. "And I probably won't be… I have so many questions that will most likely never be answered, like how did I get here? _Why_ am I here? Why am I an Inkling?" I spun around and pointed a finger at him menacingly. "I don't even know who you are!"

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy," he coaxed. "But yes, I have forgotten to introduce myself properly." He extended an arm in the form of a handshake gesture. "My name is Todd! What's yours?"

I somewhat-reluctantly returned the favor and replied, "I'm Taylor. Sorry for my rudeness earlier."

"That's all right," he laughed. "I'm used to it. By the way, Taylor… Have you ever battled in a Turf War?"

"A Turf War? No, I haven't."

"Well, I'll help you out. Come with me, and I'll show you the ropes. I'll take you under my wing…err, tentacles."

* * *

Some time later, Todd and I were waiting in the lobby to join an online battle. He held in his hands what appeared to be a giant paint roller. _That_ wasn't a weapon that I had seen before!

"Hey, Todd! What's that you got there?"

He appeared rather ecstatic that I seemed interested in his weaponry. "Oh, _this_? This here is a Splat Roller! It packs quite a punch and covers a lot of ground, so it's especially ideal for Turf Wars."

I peered down at my small and gray ink gun that I deemed too wimpy and pathetic for _my_ taste. "Then what is _this_?"

"That's what they call a Splattershot Jr. It's what all beginners start out with, but don't worry-If you participate in a lot of battles, you'll level up and be able to purchase and equip more weapons and other gear!"

 _"Level up?"_ I pondered. " _Is he breaking the fourth wall, or is this something that can actually happen in Inkopolis?"_

My train of thought was abruptly thrown off track when Todd suddenly called, "Look, Taylor! We're about to join a match! Get ready."

I instantly swallowed hard. I hadn't had the chance to virtually try out online battles and grow accustomed to them, so I was likely going to let my team down!

Without warning, Todd and I were transported onto a map's spawn point with two other Inklings. I turned around to see that my teammates were sitting in the ink in their squid forms before the battle started. I even realized that my orange hair and tentacles had changed to blue to match our team's ink color. Not only was I confused as to how they took on this other form, but I was also scratching my head wondering why my own initial color changed! Was I supposed to be a squid in the beginning of a match? And do our colors alternate after every battle?

A few seconds later, a whistle blowed and the match had begun. The strangers on my team took off and immediately started shooting the ground in their paths with ink, and as they passed me by, they shot me angry glances. What did I do wrong?

"What's _their_ problem?" I questioned Todd, who was preoccupied inking our home base.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They just don't take kindly to newcomers. Just focus on shooting ink for now."

He was right. I guess there was no time for long discussions in the middle of a Turf War. I took his advice and began covering as much territory as I possibly could. As I fired shots out of my wimpy little artillery, I couldn't help but lay my eyes upon the strange scenery around me. It appeared to be some sort of factory or warehouse, with boxes riding on conveyor belts high above the platforms.

"What a bizarre place to have a Turf War," I pondered.

Suddenly, one of my other teammates approached me and shouted into my sensitive ears, "Hey! Quit daydreaming! There's battling to do!"

What a jerk. I was only trying to familiarize myself with one of the provided Splatoon stages. Why didn't he have a kind demeanor towards newcomers? Whatever. I shrugged it off and continued trudging along.

Somewhere along the way, I managed to use up my supply of ink from the tank strapped to my back, but I couldn't figure out how to become a squid to replenish it! To add salt into my already-stinging wound, someone from the opposing team was advancing my way and threateningly pointed her orange ink gun in my direction.

"I have you now!" she proclaimed. "There's nowhere to run!"

"Wait! Go easy on me! I'm new here!" I pleaded.

"Sorry, we all have to learn the ropes one way or another." She then proceeded to blast the orange substance at me as I hopelessly struggled to sprint out of her reach and out of the opposing ink that weighed my feet down. At once, my body was splatted into nothingness and I was sent back to the spawn point.

"This isn't fair!" I huffed. "How am I supposed to win if I don't even know how to turn into a squid?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled heavily to clear my thoughts. Setting my frustration aside, I marched forward, attempting to ink opposing team members that entered our turf and covering any ground that my teammates might have missed. Eventually, my tentacles began to sparkle and fidget violently behind my shoulders.

"Taylor, you can use your special weapon now! Do it!" Todd persuaded.

"How?! No one taught me how to do this!"

Suddenly, two cartoonish squid silhouettes abruptly enveloped a circle in front of me and Todd exclaimed, "Run for it! There's an Inkstrike heading your way!"

In the midst of the quick unraveling of events that happened in the duration of the battle, I think I might have had lost the sense to escape from the giant tornado of ink. I attempted to turn the other way with a head rush still intact, but as fate would have it, I was caught in the Inkstrike and splatted once again. Unbeknownst to me, as I respawned once more, a ten-second timer finished counting down and a whistle blowed to announce the battle's conclusion. A cat with black bowtie-patterned fur appeared out of nowhere and raised an orange flag for the opposing team, signaling their victory.

As the orange team celebrated, my two unacquainted teammates approached me with very scornful expressions.

"What is wrong with you?" one of them demanded to know.

"Why did you let her in the team, Todd?!" the other asked.

"Hey, guys, give her a break," Todd calmly encouraged. "She just needs time to get used to Turf Wars, that's all."

"Well, something needs to change fast, Todd. You're making our team look bad!"

"I'll make sure to get her up to speed. No need to lose your temper, guys."

I couldn't help but hang my head down low as this conversation went on. How was I supposed to tell them that I wasn't always an Inkling? There was still a quantity of things that I didn't know the answer to, such as what transported me into the world of Splatoon and why I became an Inkling. I could only wince as I imagined where life would take me next, along with my new companion Todd…

* * *

 **Author Notes:** **Wow, I did not realize that there would be such a demand for a continuation of this story! Thanks for all the positive reviews! I hope the second chapter satisfies your hunger for the time being.**

 **As for Taylor, it looks like she's going to have a lot to learn before she's fresh enough for battle. She's also going to meet a lot more interesting characters, such as the Squid Sisters and the Booyah Base shopkeepers! Her life sure has taken an interesting turn!**

 **If you have anything to say about the second chapter or have any suggestions, please leave a review!**


	3. Misunderstood

I had made an utter and complete fool of myself. Not only was I unable to comprehend how I was supposed to transform into a squid, but I had also let my team down by being splatted one too many times and not covering enough ground with ink. I still couldn't figure out why I had become an Inkling, and my nonexistent knowledge regarding that didn't assist me in tolerating my bitter defeat in the slightest.

After having consulted our teammates about promising to brush up my skills, Todd escorted me back into the plaza of Inkopolis and paused right in front of the Booyah Base.

"What are we doing _here_?" I questioned, looking at him with much curiosity.

With an expression on his face that boasted confidence and reassurance, he replied, "I'm taking you to the Ammo Knights shop to meet with Sheldon and get some practice for Turf Wars."

"Who's Sheldon?"

"You'll see," he said with a smile.

So Todd and I subsequently proceeded to enter Ammo Knights, which, judging by its name, appeared to be a weapons shop. As soon as we entered those doors, a bell jingled and alerted the shopkeeper of our presence.

Suddenly, a horseshoe crab with a child-like appearance sprung out from behind a register and exclaimed, "Oh, hello! If it isn't my good friend Todd! What sort of business do you have here?"

"Hey there, Sheldon!" my blue-haired companion greeted. "I actually have a favor I need to ask."

"Sure! What is it?"

Todd gently placed a hand on my shoulder and replied, "My friend Taylor here is new to Turf Wars, so we were wondering if you could assist us in getting her trained for battle."

"Is that this fine lass right here? Sure, I'll help get her up to speed!" He extended his hand and offered a handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Taylor!"

"Hey, Sheldon. Nice uniform. Are you in the Boy Scouts?" I inquired, instantly asking myself why my first question to him regarded his clothes.

At once, the little horseshoe crab frowned, and the "actions speak louder than words" quote came into play once Sheldon's expression told me that he was either exasperated or annoyed.

"Hmph! I'll have you know that I specialize in weaponry and am quite the military fanatic! My late grandpappy, who is such an inspiration to me, had served in the Great War between the Inklings and Octarians, and I have an intelligence that is slightly above average. So, to answer your question: no, I am not in the Boy Scouts. Now, let me see what kind of assistance I can provide for you…"

Sheldon quickly examined me from head to toe, turned towards his shelves of ink guns and placed a hand on his chin, giving the impression that the cogs in his head were turning. Todd and I exchanged glances and shrugged.

"Taylor, I'm sorry to say this…but at your current level, it appears that you are not fresh enough for me to provide you with any new weapons."

After having just been scolded by my teammates in that last Turf War, I was not about to let this buck-toothed, snobby horseshoe crab talk down about my "freshness" and insist that I keep my pathetic Splattershot Jr.

"Not fresh enough?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Why you little-"

"Easy, Taylor… No need to lose your temper." Todd coaxed.

"Whoa, didn't mean to upset you there. Let's try not to get on each other's bad side, alright? Anyway… There's not much I can do for you in terms of being prepped for Turf Wars, but I can let you get some practice with what equipment you do have in this alley behind my shop."

Before I could say anything more, Todd promptly grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed towards the aforementioned alley as my feet skidded across the floor. "That's great! Thanks, Sheldon!"

* * *

"OK, Taylor, let's go over the basics. Since you already know how to ink the ground, we'll focus on inking opponents and using your special and sub weapon for now."

An array of inflatable squid-like mannequins stood before me, and as much as I didn't want to, I charged and shot at them with my pathetic weaponry as they continuously popped and re-inflated. Todd subsequently suggested that I dig through my pockets in which I discovered a Splat Bomb, which then got me scratching my head wondering how something at that size could fit in such a small space. I immediately tossed the bomb into the midst of the mannequins and watched as the impact of the burst emerged victorious.

"Very good, Taylor," Todd commented appraisingly. "Now let's try replenishing your ink supply. It seems like it's running low."

One of the very things I couldn't wrap my head around doing physically suddenly became a menacing, towering wall in my path once more. How was I supposed to get the point regarding my lack of kid-to-squid transformation knowledge across?

"Um… I don't know how to do that."

"It's simple! All you have to do is become a squid in your own ink!"

"That's what I'm getting at. I don't know how to undergo that transformation."

Todd's subsequent response to me was an expression that appeared as if he had just witnessed a giant blemish grow onto my face. What followed in conjunction to his raised-eyebrow response was a very prolonged silence; something that was eventually broken once the door separating the alley and Ammo Knights swung open to reveal Sheldon.

"Hey, guys. I'm about to close up shop, so wrap up whatever you're doing and head out."

After snapping out of what seemed like a daze, Todd finally managed to say, "Right… Taylor, I think that's enough training for today. Let's get going."

* * *

"It's been quite an eventful day, hasn't it?" Todd asked after the two of us exited the shop.

" _If only you knew…"_ I spoke internally, reminiscing about what had occurred in the hours before. "It sure was."

My friendly, blue-haired companion and I gazed at the star-blanketed night sky for a few minutes until Todd yawned, "Well, I need to start heading home. The folks are probably expecting me. Where are _you_ heading off to for the night?"

Suddenly, the realization sunk in like a rock in a fish tank. _Where_ was I going to go? _What_ was I going to do? After experiencing what I could only assume was somehow getting absorbed into my _Splatoon_ game, I didn't have a clue as to how I was going to find my way out and get home!

"Um… Nowhere. I'm not heading _any_ where."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have a place where I can retreat to."

Immediately, I was met with a look from Todd that emerged dramatically different from the expression I had seen earlier; appearing more concerned and sympathetic to my misfortune.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Taylor. Is that why you don't know how to change into a squid? You're lost and confused and without a home?"

"N-No, that's not where I'm getting at. I've been meaning to tell you this since we've met, but I-"

"Say no more. You really need a place to stay, so let me be of assistance." He gently grabbed me by the hand. "Come with me."

* * *

Just moments after having caught a ride from the train just outside Inkopolis, I was escorted to what Todd clarified as his humble abode; a nice, two-story house with a dark-blue roof and a few hedges by the walkway to the front door.

"My parents are just inside." Todd stated. "I'll see if I can negotiate with them to help you find a place."

Upon entering, I was immediately introduced to Todd's mother Priscilla; an Inkling with pink hair and fair skin, and his father, Brian; an Inkling with a muscular build and hair that shared the same color as Todd's.

"So you're one of Todd's friends, Taylor? How come I've never seen you around here before?" Brian inquired.

All I could mutter was "Um…" before Todd intervened, "Poor Taylor here is homeless, and is even unsure how to transform into a squid at will. I found her unconscious in the plaza of Inkopolis, and that's when I decided to offer my assistance. She told me herself that she has nowhere to go."

"Hmm… That's quite unfortunate."

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Priscilla asked her husband.

Appearing as if he was assessing the situation in his mind, Brian became silent for a minute before replying, "Well, I have an idea, and it may seem crazy, but I would be more than willing to purchase an apartment for her at Flounder Heights."

"Flounder Heights?!" mother and son sputtered in unison.

"Honey, Flounder Heights is _expensive_! Are you sure you want to go ahead with such an expenditure?"

"Well, if it means that Taylor will be able to have a roof over her head tonight, then yes."

* * *

I didn't know much about Flounder Heights, but Todd filled in for me on the way over there that it was a luxurious apartment complex with a Turf War arena built right on top of it and had a playground right on the premises. He even stated that the people of Inkopolis always raved about this place and would give anything to live there, which made me blush in embarrassment considering that his father was willing to give up so much money for such a place for a friend of his son that he barely knew. After making the purchase and filling out the necessary paperwork, Brian was handed a room key and led us to the room the key was meant for. He unlocked and opened the door, revealing an apartment that was the very definition of complex. It had a full-sized kitchen, a living room with a wall-mounted TV, a bedroom containing a queen-sized bed and a walk-in closet, and, as an added bonus, it was on the highest floor of the complex.

"Wow! This is incredible!" I finally managed to say.

"Looks like you really hit the jackpot on _this_ one!" Todd laughed.

"We're glad you like it, Taylor," Priscilla commented with a big grin on her face.

"Alright, everyone, let's let Taylor settle into her new home. It's getting late anyway."

"Thank you, guys, for everything," I spoke just as the family was heading out the door.

"It's no problem at all," was Brian's response.

"See you around, Taylor!" Todd called as he waved goodbye.

As soon as they had left, I decided to check the view from my balcony (another bonus) before hitting the sack. What the bright, full moon illuminated for me was the aforementioned Turf War map, the playground which awaited a mob of eager children the next morning, and an array of the remaining apartments and their balconies which held clothes and towels that seemed left hung out dry. What my pointed, sensitive ears could hear were the sounds of cars driving by, the muffled conversations my neighboring Inklings were having, and the chirps of nearby cicadas. As I stood there and took all of this in, I began to reflect on what had happened that day, eventually realizing that perhaps becoming an Inkling in the world of Splatoon was the answer to my once-average and dull life. Earlier in the day, I had been reflecting on the lack of substance that my life contained, and within the next few, short hours that followed, I had taken on the form of an Inkling, made a new friend, physically took part in a Turf War, and to top it all off, received an all-expense-paid luxurious apartment complete with a balcony and a flat-screen TV. I smiled to myself, returned to my bedroom and instantly hopped into bed to sleep the night away, curious to discover what the new day would have in store for me…

* * *

 **Author Notes:** **Yes, I'm back! After having gone through months of college since the last update, I have finally finished my first semester and am now free to provide more fanfic goodness! Expect many updates for my fanfics in the coming weeks!**

 **Since I'm uploading this chapter days before Christmas, consider this my gift to you! :)**

 **It really seems like Taylor's life has taken an interesting turn, hasn't it? I wonder what other things she'll get herself into...?**


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